


Someday

by emshepherd23



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Getting Back Together, Hopeful Ending, How Do I Tag, Izumi (mentioned) - Freeform, Someday, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, aang (mentioned) - Freeform, flower shop, maiko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emshepherd23/pseuds/emshepherd23
Summary: “I’m not asking for us to get back together today, but maybe someday.”I could not get this idea out of my head. So, this is based on the assumption that Mai is Izumi’s mom and she and Zuko got back together at some point. And this is how Zuko may have repaired his relationship with Mai.
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Someday

The bell over the door rang as Zuko walked into Aunt Mura's flower shop. It had taken him 8 days and two talks with his mother to figure out what he was going to say to her. But he had to find out if there was any hope for them. While trying to calm his nerves, as he approached the counter, he suddenly became worried that Mai wouldn’t even be working today.

A few seconds later, though, Mai came from the back room and Zuko’s nerves about her being there subsided as he let out a sigh of relief. 

She stopped short when she saw him and her frown deepened, if that was possible. Zuko’s nerves returned full force, realizing he was going to have to say what he planned.

She finished her path to the counter and looked at him expectantly. There was a tense silence for a few moments, but Mai spoke first.“Hello, Fire Lord Zuko.” She said, trying to pretend he was just another customer. “What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Mai. I was looking for some flowers for my mother, to...uh” His left arm reached behind him to rub his neck “...show her how much I appreciate her.” He’s not sure why he felt the need to lie all of a sudden. He supposed he was just trying to delay the inevitable. 

“Really, Zuko that’s why you are here. Are you sure you are not here today to ask me to get back together with you even though I have stated several times that I do not want to?”

“No, I’m not.” he said confidently, as he returned his arm to his side.

“Okay, then answer me this,” Mai stated, as she began to make a flower arrangement. “Why did you come here in person? You could have sent someone to get your mother flowers.” Zuko watched as she moved, seeing the anger she was holding back in the way she wrapped the bundle of fire lilies she picked from the back wall. 

He took a deep breath to steady himself and began to speak. “I know I hurt you, Mai. And for that I will forever be sorry. I never want you to be hurt again, especially because of me. I didn’t come here to beg you to take me back.” She avoided his gaze as he looked at her with sad, yet wise eyes. “I know I am not ready for any relationship right now. I have to figure out how to be a good leader for our people and what being the Fire Lord means to me. And I have to put the Fire Nation and the world ahead of everything to help restore peace. So, no, I’m not asking for us to get back together today...” he paused for a moment as she finally looked up at him. “But maybe someday. I wanted to know if there is a chance for us, once I figure all this out.”

Her face gave nothing away as Zuko held his breath waiting for her answer.

All of a sudden the bouquet of fire lilies was shoved in his face. “Here,” Mai said. “Your mother will like these.” Then, she turned around and returned to the back room. Zuko's shoulders fell as he watched her go, muttering a small, “I’m sorry Mai.” He left Aunt Mura's flower shop with the answer he had been expecting all along and headed back to the palace.

_Later that evening:_

It was getting late as Zuko sat in his office going over Aang’s latest letters about how Yu Dao was progressing. Focus was not an issue for the young Fire Lord, as work proved to be the perfect distraction from his heavy heart. He was angry that he even felt this way. He assumed that would be her answer and yet it still hurt, so he threw himself into work. Even if Mai wasn’t willing to wait for him, he still had to become a good Fire Lord and help maintain peace. And at least his mother and Kiyi had liked the flowers he got.

He was just finishing Aang’s letter about Yu Dao’s newest police force when someone knocked on his door. 

“Who is it?”

“It’s Nishi, Fire Lord.”

“Come in.” Nishi, one of his servants, opened the door to Zuko’s office and closed it softly. 

As he walked toward the desk, he began speaking, “A messenger hawk arrived a few minutes ago with a letter for you, sir. It was marked urgent” he finished as he set the letter down.

“Thank you, Nishi. Have a good night.”

Nishi smiled and said “You too, Fire Lord Zuko.” Then he bowed and left Zuko alone.

Zuko reached for the letter and began to unroll it. He read it, then read it again, and again, not believing what he was seeing. A small smile graced his lips and a tear formed in the corner of his eye as he set it back down on his desk. He got up from his chair, intending on going to bed now that the weight in his heart was lifted, but could not resist looking down again at the letter and the single word written on it:

有  
一  
天

Someday

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this. This is only my second work so let me know what you think!


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